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For Immediate Release Contact: Betsy Hart
June 27, 2008 (202) 226-8555

HERSETH SANDLIN, BOOZMAN LAUD PASSAGE OF GI BILL

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representatives Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD) and John Boozman (R-AR), Chair and Ranking Member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, praised the bipartisan Congressional passage of the largest increase in veterans’ education benefits since World War II.

The new veterans’ education program will enable most veterans to attend public four-year schools in their state of residence at no cost. Those who serve at least three years of active duty since September 11, 2001 can receive full tuition and fees plus a housing stipend based on the veteran’s residence. The new program will also pay $1,000 per school year for books and a one-time payment of $500 to defray the cost of travel to and from school.

The bill also contains a provision that will allow service members who have served at least six years and commit to an additional four years of service to transfer some or all of their education benefits to their spouses or their dependent children.

“As Chair of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, one of my first priorities is to ensure that we offer veterans benefits befitting their service and sacrifice,” Herseth Sandlin said. “This long-overdue update of the Montgomery GI Bill will not only provide well-deserved benefits to veterans, but it also makes a smart investment in the future of our nation.”

John Boozman the Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity also hailed the new benefit. “We have done the right thing for our veterans and I am excited that the new level of benefits will enable more veterans to obtain the education and training they need to find a good-paying job. The payback to the nation in terms of increased salaries alone will make this investment in our most deserving citizens worthwhile,” Boozman said.

Last night, the Senate passed by a vote of 92-6 the emergency spending bill that provided funding for continued operations in Iraq and Afghanistan in addition to the education benefit for Veterans, unemployment insurance and disaster relief. The House passed the same bill last week by a vote of 416-12. The President is expected to sign the bill next week.

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Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin serves South Dakota in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate Democrats committed to fiscal discipline and strong national security, and is co-chair of the Rural Working Group, which is dedicated to raising the profile of issues important to rural America. She also serves on three committees vital to South Dakota’s interests: Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs and Natural Resources. In the 110th Congress, Rep. Herseth Sandlin was one of only 15 members appointed to serve on the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.